She Brought Warmth To His Life
by DobbyRocksSocks
Summary: Of everything that Lucius appreciated about Narcissa, it was the warmth she brought to his life that he appreciated the most.


**Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.**

 **Written for;**

 **One Character Only Competition** \- Lucius Malfoy - Lime Green / Basket / Anxiety

 **Friends Competition** \- S3EP18 - The Hypnosis Test

 **100 Ways To Say 'I Love You'** \- 14. "Can I have this dance?"

 **Are You Crazy Enough** \- 143. Periwinkle

 **One Character, One Prompt** \- Narcissa Malfoy / Excuse

 **Hogwarts Assignment** \- History Of Muggles - Task 5b. Setting; Prison/Azkaban

 **Hogwarts Writing Club** \- Showtime - Act 2. 8. Misdeeds.

 **Hogwarts, Roald Dahl Day Event** \- 327. Powder Room - Write about Narcissa Malfoy.

* * *

Beta'd by my wonder woman, Amber.

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 **She Brought Warmth To His Life**

* * *

The cell was tiny, the stone walls damp with the cold air that permeated. Lucius sat in the corner, shivers wracking his thin figure intermittently. Even with the absence of Dementors, Azkaban Prison was a bleak home.

He knew it was his own misdeeds that had landed him there, knew that only he could be blamed for his current address, but that didn't make it any easier to bear.

The only silver lining was that his wife and son had escaped detention. Merlin knew that Lucius hated Harry Potter, but he was grateful that the boy's words had saved his family from the same fate as his own.

With the endless hours of nothing to do but think, Lucius was intimately acquainted with his own shortcomings, but he couldn't deny that he'd also been given the time to think over his own life, the many good things, and the many bad.

The common theme in the good, of course, was his beautiful wife.

Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black.

He remembered the very first time he saw her…

…

 _A mane of blonde hair fell down the girl's back, shifting slightly as she talked animatedly to a taller girl with dark hair. Her lime green robes caught his eyes immediately, standing out against the more reserved hues of everyone around her._

 _Lucius craned his neck as his father led him down the platform of Nine and Three Quarters, wanting to see the face of the girl with hair that matched his own._

 _He barely listened to the words of his father, though if truth be known, he'd heard them so many times before, he could recite them in his sleep._

 _Don't do anything to embarrass the family, live up to the name of Malfoy, don't associate with anyone of lesser standing, blah, blah, blah._

 _Distractedly, he shook his father's hand briefly, before he took his first step onto the Hogwarts Express. It was at that moment, the girl turned around, and Lucius was stunned into stillness._

 _Beautiful grey eyes stared at him for a split second, and as their eyes met, Lucius felt something plummet into his stomach._

 _He was sure it was his heart._

 _The moment was broken by his Father clearing his throat, and Lucius was forced to continue onto the train. He'd noticed the dark haired girl climbing onto the train though, and he knew he'd have to find her. She would be his path to the blonde girl._

 _He would find her again._

…

Lucius had been in love with Narcissa since he was eleven. She'd always laughed when he told her that as they grew older, but she too remembered their very first sighting of each other. The way Narcissa told it, she'd spent much of the first term of Hogwarts awaiting Bellatrix's return for Christmas, hoping that she'd have a name for Narcissa to put to the face she'd seen at Kings Cross.

It made Lucius smile whenever he thought about that. Even in Azkaban, his lovely wife could make his lips turn up.

As his thoughts drifted, another memory presented itself. Their first dance at his parents' New Years party. Without really thinking about it, Lucius began to hum; it took several moments to realise it's the tune of the song they'd danced to, all those years ago.

…

" _Can I have this dance?"_

 _Lucius had held his hand out to Narcissa with bated breath. He'd watched, from across the room, as she'd turned down suitor after suitor._

 _While they were familiar enough in school, she was three years below him, and as such, he'd had little reason to approach her. Finally, now that he'd left school and she was in her final year, he had his chance to woo her._

 _She looked at him critically for a few moments, before she smiled, placing her dainty hand in his own and allowing him to guide her to the middle of the dancefloor._

" _You look stunning," he told her, as he placed one hand firmly on her hip, the other holding hers aloft._

 _He wasn't lying. In silk robes of periwinkle, Narcissa was the brightest star in the room, shining better and brighter than any other guest in attendance._

 _A rosy hue on her cheeks told him that his flattery had hit it's mark, and he smiled to himself as he twirled her around the floor._

 _She stayed by his side for the rest of the evening, and afterwards, he would remark that it was the best night of his life so far._

…

Lying down on the threadbare mattress, Lucius pulled the sorry excuse for a blanket tighter around his shoulders. He'd almost forgotten what it felt to be warm, the chill in his bones had been present since before Azkaban, since he'd been pulled back into the service of his Lord.

Narcissa had stood by him even then. She'd been at his side at the end of the first war, when Lucius had been forced to grease many pockets in order to keep his freedom, and she'd stood by him this time, even when when they both knew that the ending wouldn't be quite so happy.

Even with all he'd put her through, Lucius truly believed that she still loved him. Only love, true love, could have kept her so close throughout the years.

He remembered their words on their wedding day, the vows they both swore to uphold. He remembered the anxiety he'd felt as he waited for her to arrive, sure up until the very last moment that she would realise that she was worthy of so much more than him.

He remembered picking apart flowers from the closest basket to him in the bonding room. He remembered the feeling of absolute elation as she entered, the picture of elegance and sophistication.

Turning to the wall, Lucius curled himself as tightly as he could, rubbing his hands against his arms. He was tired of the cold, of remembering the warmth that Narcissa brought to his life. He was tired of the memories, because he wanted the real thing.

He wanted Narcissa back in his arms where she belonged. He wanted her blonde hair, and her grey eyes, and her beautiful smile.

The memory of their last meeting flittered into his mind, making him cringe against the mattress. The way she'd been ripped away from him…

…

" _Lucius Malfoy, for war crimes committed in the name of the tyrant, Lord Voldemort, this court sentences you to five years in Azkaban. Be grateful, without the words of Harry Potter, it would have been life."_

 _The bang of the gavel might as well as not existed, for all that echoed in Lucius' ears was the soft, pained gasp of Narcissa. She got up from her seat in the viewing gallery, crossing the room quickly enough that by the time the Auror's spotted her, she had already wrapped her arms around his neck, her tears falling against his chest._

" _I love you," he whispered, tears falling freely from his own eyes. He wanted to hold her, but with his arms fastened down, he couldn't. "Never forget that I love you."_

" _I love you too," she replied, the words slightly hindered by her sobs. "I'll wait, Lucius. Five years, I'll wait. I swear it."_

 _The Aurors chose that moment to pull her away, and within moments, he was being pulled up from the chair he'd been seated in, and hauled into a holding cell to await transfer._

 _Five years._

…

Lucius wasn't sure how long he'd been in Azkaban. He'd lost track of the days an eternity ago, and he could only hope that his ever frail body would last until the deadline. If he could only see Narcissa one last time -

The cell door rattled suddenly, making him cringe at the noise. He forced himself to unclench his muscles, to turn and look at the guard that had cleared his throat.

"Malfoy."

Lucius opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Five years to the day. Your wife is waiting for you, and there are healers on standby. Can you walk out under your own power of do we need to conjure a stretcher?"

The guard sounded bored, but Lucius didn't care.

Five years.

He finally felt warm again.


End file.
